A Commitment to Innovation
45 years ago, Jet Aviation launched its first completion at the 1977 Paris Airshow. We were pioneers in aviation interiors, working with customers to push the limits of what was possible inside the cabin.
Over the decades, the industry has evolved. Today, our customers are increasingly demanding the same cutting-edge technologies and environmental comfort they experience on the ground, in the air. To meet our commitment to provide the highest levels of quality, performance, and safety, we also have to evolve.
Last year, we introduced ‘Product Owners’ into our Engineering Team. These individuals focus on product development, working to establish Jet Aviation as a leader in product innovation and ensuring we integrate new and innovative technologies where possible to ensure that our cabins represent the very best of cutting-edge aviation, as well as beautifully crafted, one-of-a-kind completions. This complements our support of the UN Sustainable Development Goal of Industry, Innovation & Infrastructure.
To further our support of this, we launched the Innovation Steering Committee, led out of Basel. The aim of the Committee is to identify new technologies that could be used to enhance our customers’ cabin environments, and to establish a process for product innovation at Jet Aviation.
“The needs of our customers are changing,” says Jeremie Caillet, VP VIP Completion Programs. “As they experience more and more new and exciting technology in other aspects of their lives, they increasingly expect the same level of comfort and enjoyment from their aircraft. We are committed to remaining the partner of choice for our customers, and we recognize the need for a strong focus on innovation in VIP completions to remain relevant in a rapidly evolving world.”
The Committee liaises with the entire Jet Aviation network, General Dynamic’s Councils, and Gulfstream, as well as with our suppliers and higher education institutes to ensure we have access to world-class innovative thinking.
“We are committed to remaining the partner of choice for our customers, and we recognize the need for a strong focus on innovation in VIP completions to remain relevant in a rapidly evolving world.”
Most recently, we have joined the MIT Industrial Liaison Program (ILP). This Program puts Jet Aviation in direct contact with expertise from one of the world’s most prestigious academic and research institutions and a world-leader in engineering and innovation. Through a dedicated liaison, we can access MIT professors and benefit from their collective knowledge.
As a member of the ILP, Jet Aviation also gains access to the MIT Startup Exchange, a pool of collective start-up technology companies, to look at opportunities for possible future collaborations. Collaborating with experts in new technologies provides insight and inspiration from other fields outside of aviation, and gives us the opportunity to integrate technologies that are new to us more efficiently than if were to start from scratch.
“In order to be truly innovative, we need to look outside of our own industry,” explains Florent Klinger, Head of Engineering, Jet Aviation Basel. “There are new and emerging technologies in different fields which might be of benefit in our own work. Membership of the MIT Industrial Liaison Program grants us access to experts in these cutting-edge new technologies.”
Find out more about our Completion capabilites here.